Biobanks play an increasing role in contemporary research projects. These units meet all requirements to regard them as a one of the most innovative and up-to-date in the field of biomedical research. They enable conducting wide-scale research by the professional collection of biological specimens and correlated clinical data. Pathology units may be perceived roots of biobanking. The review aims at describing the concept of biobanks, their model of function and scientific potential. It comprises the division of biobanks, sample preservation methods and IT solutions as well as guidelines and recommendations for management of a vast number of biological samples and clinical data. Therefore, appropriate standard operating procedures and protocols are outlined. Constant individualization of diagnostic process and treatment procedures creates the niche for translational units. Thus, the role of biobanks in personalized medicine was also specified. The exceptionality of biobanks poses some new ethical-legal issues which have various solutions, in each legal system, amongst the world. Finally, distribution and activity of European biobanks are mentioned.

Peripheral nerve injury is a common posttraumatic complication. The precise surgical repair of nerve lesion does not always guarantee satisfactory motor and sensory function recovery. Therefore, enhancement of the regeneration process is a subject of many research strategies. It is believed that polyethylene glycol (PEG) mediates axolemmal fusion, thus enabling the direct restoration of axon continuity. It also inhibits Wallerian degeneration and recovers nerve conduction. This systemic review, performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, describes and summarizes published studies on PEG treatment efficiency in various nerve injury types and repair techniques. Sixteen original experimental studies in animal models and one in humans were analyzed. PEG treatment superiority was reported in almost all experiments (based on favorable electrophysiological, histological, or behavioral results). To date, only one study attempted to transfer the procedure into the clinical phase. However, some technical aspects, e.g., the maximal delay between trauma and successful treatment, await determination. PEG therapy is a promising prospect that may improve the surgical treatment of peripheral nerve injuries in the clinical practice.

Background: Because of its subjective character, the term “breast attractiveness” is poorly defined and thus its reliable standardized assessment can be particularly challenging. Because of objective analysis of the observer’s gaze pattern, eye-tracking technology may provide a better insight into the visual perception of breast aesthetics and symmetry. Methods: One hundred observers, 50 women and 50 men, assessed the aesthetics and symmetry of eight types of female breasts displayed as digital images on frontal, lateral, and oblique projections. The gaze pattern of each observer was recorded using eye-tracking technology, and gaze data were subsequently analyzed. Results: Although sex and breast type exerted an effect on attention capturing by some areas of interest, key characteristics of gaze patterns in female and male observers were essentially the same. Irrespective of observers’ sex, the longest fixation duration and the highest fixation number were recorded for lower breast regions, in particular, for the nipple-areola complex. Mean fixation duration in this area corresponded to 58 and 57 percent of overall observation time for female and male observers, respectively, during the assessment of breast aesthetics; and to 56 and 52 percent of overall observation time for female and male observers, respectively, during the assessment of breast symmetry. Conclusions: Nipple-areola complex and lower breast are key focus areas for the assessment of breast aesthetics and symmetry. Gaze data collected during this study may constitute a valuable source of reference values for future eye-tracking research on various patient groups’ visual perception of breast attractiveness and deformities.

The aim of the study was to evaluate if a pre-incisional N-acetylcysteine (NAC) treatment altered the process of wound healing in a rat model. The dorsal skin of 24 Sprague-Dawley rats was incised in six locations. Before the incisions were made, skin was injected either with lidocaine and epinephrine (one side) or with these agents supplemented with 0.015%, 0.03%, or 0.045% NAC (contralaterally). Photographic documentation of the wound healing process was made at 11 time points. Rats were sacrificed 3, 7, 14, or 60 days after incision to excise scars for histological analysis. They included: Abramov scale scoring, histomorphometry analysis, and collagen fiber arrangement assessment. Skin pretreated with 0.03% NAC produced the shortest scars at all analyzed time points, though this result was statistically insignificant. At this NAC concentration the scars had smaller areas on the third day and were narrower on the day 4 compared with all the other groups (p < 0.05). On day 7, at the same concentration of NAC, the scars had a higher superficial concentration index (p = 0.03) and larger dermal proliferation area (p = 0.04). NAC addition to pre-incisional anesthetic solution decreased wound size and width at an early stage of scar formation at all concentrations; however, with optimal results at 0.03% concentration.